Smoking is a bad habit that is known to cause significant damage to the body. Tobacco smoke disrupts the function of the respiratory system and over 70% of smokers suffer from chronic cough. People who decide to overcome addiction hope to immediately get rid of all the consequences of tobacco, but the cough after quitting smoking in most cases does not go away, but rather intensifies. How to cope with cough for former smokers and whether treatment is required - we will consider in this article.
Why cough occurs after quitting smoking
At the time of smoking a cigarette, tobacco smoke enters the lungs, which in its content is a poison. Contains chemicals, resins, dust and other toxic components. Gradually, a large number of them accumulate in the lung tissue.
Coughing when you stop smoking is a protective reaction aimed at cleansing the body of harmful substances. In a healthy person, such a reaction always arises, but in smokers this process is blocked under the influence of inhaled smoke from cigarettes.
Note! On the tissues of the upper respiratory tract there are epithelial cilia, which, when penetrating pathological particles, provoke a cough, thereby preventing poisoning of the body.
Cough when quitting smoking occurs due to the restoration of the functionality of the bronchial cilia. In the first period after quitting smoking, many people begin to suffer from severe coughing fits. This process is considered natural, as addiction leads to inflammatory processes on the mucous membrane. As a result, sputum forms in the bronchi and lung tissue can be affected by toxins. The organs of the respiratory system at the time of coughing are self-cleaning.
How long does the cough last after quitting smoking
Respiratory disorders are seen in most people who have recently quit smoking. In rare cases, such manifestations do not occur. As a rule, coughing does not bother people who have smoked cigarettes very rarely or have had little experience.
But how long a cough can last for ex-smokers depends on many factors:
- duration of the smoking period;
- number of smoking breaks per day (number of cigarettes smoked per day);
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the degree of influence exerted by tobacco smoke;
- age of the patient;
- have other bad habits.
There is no exact data on what the nature of coughing should be after quitting smoking and how long this period lasts. Recovery occurs differently and individually for everyone.
According to statistics, if breathing problems occur after a person has stopped smoking, then after 1-3 months the respiratory system is fully restored. However, if the experience of smoking has been more than 10 years, the problem could become chronic.
Normally, even with a strong cough, after 2-3 weeks, improvements should be observed in the form of a decrease in the intensity and frequency of attacks. If after a month the situation does not change, then it is necessary to visit a doctor.
Types of cough after quitting smoking
Great importance is attached to the nature of the cough in people who have quit smoking. Pathological symptoms may indicate complications that arose after smoking.
The nature of the cough that occurs after giving up a bad habit, according to medical information:
- wet;
- dry;
- with secretions.
A wet cough is a reflex rejection of purulent mucus (sputum) that has accumulated in the lungs or airways. There may be very little sputum or, conversely, mucus is excreted in large volumes, which causes strong and frequent coughing attacks. But it is expectoration with sputum production that is considered normal.
Suspicion of a pathological process in the respiratory organs during the recovery period after quitting smoking causes a dry cough. Difficulties with sputum discharge occur when the activity of the ciliated fibers is lost, as well as bronchial diseases accompanied by edema.
Dry cough when quitting smoking must be treated with medication. Lack of therapeutic assistance can lead to complications: intoxication, spastic shortness of breath, the formation of toxins in the lungs and others.
The greatest danger for ex-smokers is expectoration "with impurities". If at the time of expectoration, along with the sputum, brown or black mucus or blood is released, an urgent visit to the doctor is required.
Pathological discharge can indicate severe lesions of the bronchial walls, lung tissue, and trachea. Tobacco smoke can cause respiratory burns that don't heal due to the constant supply of toxins, causing an infection that can spread quickly to damaged areas.
Important! Smoking can cause life-threatening respiratory diseases (tuberculosis, cancer, cirrhosis and others). As nicotine enters the body, the symptoms subside, but as soon as a person decides to give up the habit, the pathology begins to manifest itself intensely.
What to do first: how to alleviate the condition
For people for whom smoking has been a daily habit for a long time, quitting smoking seems impossible, but if a person still chooses to do so, then they have to endure a difficult recovery period.
The most difficult is psychological desire, which few cope with. The condition is aggravated by coughing fits. Many smokers know that if you "drag" again, your breath will catch up. However, there are other ways to alleviate the condition. To do this, use drugs or folk remedies.
Therapeutic approach
Constant coughing attacks cause serious breathing problems and can even interfere with a person's life. To alleviate the condition of the smoker, it is recommended to take drugs that have an expectorant and sedative effect.
Note! After quitting smoking, the use of antitussive drugs is not recommended, their use can cause a lung abscess.
In most cases, the doctor, when the patient stops smoking, to facilitate the removal of sputum, prescribes preparations of the mucolytic group.
You can speed up the cleansing of the body of toxins by taking enterosorbents.
Depending on the characteristics of the cough and the presence of possible diseases of the respiratory system, antihistamines, immunomodulators and antibiotics may be prescribed.
Folk methods
Treatment of breathing disorders that disturb after long-term smoking cessation can be supplemented with folk remedies. The use of alternative medicine methods should be carried out only with the consent of a specialist and after confirming the absence of an allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylactic shock and swelling of the respiratory system.
You can reduce the frequency and intensity of coughing if you use a folk remedy:
- Milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey or soda to hot milk. Drink three times a day.
- Onion syrup. Medium-sized onions are rubbed on a grater (fine) and mixed with two glasses of sugar. The remedy must be insisted for at least three hours. After - put on low heat until the mixture acquires the state of syrup. Take a teaspoon during the day with an interval of three hours.
- Eggnog with propolis. The egg yolk is ground with honey and beaten. 2 drops of liquid propolis are added to the mixture. Close the lid in a jar and place in the refrigerator. Drink 10 ml. twice daily.
- Herbal decoctions. Suitable chamomile, hypericum, sage or wild rosemary. A tablespoon of ground herb is steamed with 0. 5 liters. boiling water. Insist for about half an hour, then strain. Drink three or four times a day for a cup of tea.
- Birch decoction. Crushed birch sprouts (1 tablespoon L) are laid out in melted butter (100 gr. ). Transfer to a container and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes. After cooling, add the honey. Take 10 gr. funds twice a day.
Do not abuse traditional medicine, self-medicate or refuse medication. Folk remedies have an auxiliary effect and may not be effective enough in severe pathological processes.
When you should see a doctor
After quitting smoking, even a person who has smoked for a short time can have serious health problems.
It is necessary to consult a doctor if the following symptoms begin to disturb:
- coughing attacks are too frequent and cause severe chest pain;
- sputum discharge is accompanied by the release of blood or dark mucus clots;
- when you hear breathing, whistling and wheezing;
- shortness of breath occurs;
- with deep breaths, there is a sharp shooting pain in the chest;
- there is a general weakness of the body.
Any pathological manifestations in a healthy state are a signal for a visit to a specialist. It is advisable to take steps to recover from smoking immediately, as the consequences of smoking can be very serious.
Conclusion
Coughing can begin to haunt smokers while they smoke and become a signal that they need to get rid of a bad habit. After quitting smoking, coughing fits can intensify, however, this recovery period should be endured. In most cases, the condition returns to normal after 2 to 3 weeks. For a full recovery, of course, more time is needed, but the main stage of cleansing the body will already have been completed.
After quitting smoking, experts recommend visiting a medical institution for a consultation with a doctor and undergoing diagnostics to determine if there are complications from addiction and, if indicated, undergo the necessary treatment.